Medal and Award Rolls Card

[Opentheirminds]

Evening all,

Just dipping into my great-grandfather's WW1 service history, and found his entry for the British War and Victory medal.

Noting the two different regiments he served in (I assume? 2nd Essex and 11th Royal Fusiliers?) and the dates beside them, am I right to assume that he was only active for the 5 or so months between June and November 1917?

Any other info that people might be able to glean would also be very gratefully received!

Thanks!

[jim1]

The dates are the movements of your man from the Essex Regt.
to the R. Fusiliers & then into the 1/1st. London Regt.
His number 225328 was in a batch allocated to the 1/1/ LR.
To give it it's full title it was the 1/1st (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers).

[Opentheirminds]

The dates are the movements of your man from the Essex Regt.
to the R. Fusiliers & then into the 1/1st. London Regt.
His number 225328 was in a batch allocated to the 1/1/ LR.
To give it it's full title it was the 1/1st (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers).

Brilliant, thanks Jim! Knowing that he moved into the 1/1 makes things much earier, I was looking for an 11th and wondering why I wasn't getting anywhere.

[alan o]

There was indeed an 11th Battalion.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/royal-fusiliers-city-of-london-regiment/

If he was in the 1st Battalion then it should be written 1 RF.  The 1st was the pre war Regular battalion.

The RF did not have a Territorial Battalion as such but the Territorial Force had the London Regiment.  The 1st Battalion of the London Regiment was 1/1st (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers) just to make things confusing.
As this card shows London Regt were recorded as that on their cards. So it would be written as 1/1 Lond. R.  So I think you should look at the 11th RF.

[Opentheirminds]

There was indeed an 11th Battalion.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/royal-fusiliers-city-of-london-regiment/

If he was in the 1st Battalion then it should be written 1 RF.  The 1st was the pre war Regular battalion.

The RF did not have a Territorial Battalion as such but the Territorial Force had the London Regiment.  The 1st Battalion of the London Regiment was 1/1st (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers) just to make things confusing.
As this card shows London Regt were recorded as that on their cards. So it would be written as 1/1 Lond. R.  So I think you should look at the 11th RF.

Just to confuse things! Thanks for this though Alan. I'm slowly putting together a better picture of Albert's service, I've learned from family that he suffered with trench foot and was exposed to mustard gas, so I'm hoping to come across some medical records on my travels. Fingers crossed!

[alan o]

This may be of interest:  https://wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/battalion.php?pid=6898

[willyam]

Uncross your fingers - because there is a Pensions Index Card in respect of Albert in Ancestry. Although it is within the Fold3 dataset - for which a separate sub is required.

[Opentheirminds]

Uncross your fingers - because there is a Pensions Index Card in respect of Albert in Ancestry. Although it is within the Fold3 dataset - for which a separate sub is required.

Oh brilliant, thank you for taking the time to look and let me know!

Nobody warned me that this would be an expensive hobby, I was meant to be cutting back on picking up even more of those 

[AllanUK]

Uncross your fingers - because there is a Pensions Index Card in respect of Albert in Ancestry. Although it is within the Fold3 dataset - for which a separate sub is required.

There are two cards --

Pension Form 26.C shows the following ----

Surname -- Croves
Christian Name -- Albert Thomas
Regiment -- 1st London
Regtl. No -- 225328
Identity No -- SEL32707

The second card shows the following ---

Groves, Albert Thomas
11/M/202280
1st London      225328
5 Essex
11 R. Fus.
SEL32707
3 Eden Cottages, Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Pension of 8/- from 25/10/19 to 26/10/20